महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-13, chapter-88, verse-1

युधिष्ठिर उवाच ।
किं स्विद्दत्तं पितृभ्यो वै भवत्यक्षयमीश्वर ।
किं हविश्चिररात्राय किमानन्त्याय कल्पते ॥१॥

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca ,
kiṁ sviddattaṁ pitṛbhyo vai bhavatyakṣayamīśvara ,
kiṁ haviścirarātrāya kimānantyāya kalpate.

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kim svit dattam pitṛbhyaḥ vai bhavati
akṣayam īśvara kim haviḥ cirarātrāya kim ānantyāya kalpate

1. yudhiṣṭhira uvāca īśvara kim svit dattam pitṛbhyaḥ vai
akṣayam bhavati kim haviḥ cirarātrāya kim ānantyāya kalpate

1. Yudhiṣṭhira said: "O Lord, what, when offered to the ancestors (pitṛs), becomes inexhaustible? What oblation is for a long duration, and what is considered suitable for eternity?"

Words meanings summery:

• युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira (the eldest Pāṇḍava) (Yudhiṣṭhira)

• उवाच (uvāca) - (Yudhiṣṭhira) said (said, spoke)

• किम् (kim) - what?

• स्वित् (svit) - indeed (emphasizing the question) (indeed, perhaps, pray, emphasizes question)

• दत्तम् (dattam) - what is given/offered (given, offered, gift)

• पितृभ्यः (pitṛbhyaḥ) - to the ancestors (pitṛs) (to the ancestors, to the fathers)

• वै (vai) - indeed (emphatic) (indeed, surely, verily (emphatic particle))

• भवति (bhavati) - becomes (becomes, exists, happens)

• अक्षयम् (akṣayam) - inexhaustible (inexhaustible, imperishable, eternal)

• ईश्वर (īśvara) - O Lord (vocative, addressing Bhīṣma) (lord, master, ruler)

• किम् (kim) - what?

• हविः (haviḥ) - oblation (oblation, sacrificial offering)

• चिररात्राय (cirarātrāya) - for a long duration (for a long time, for a long duration, for a long night)

• किम् (kim) - what?

• आनन्त्याय (ānantyāya) - for eternity (for eternity, for endlessness, for infinity)

• कल्पते (kalpate) - is suitable (for) (is suitable, becomes, is able, is fit)

Words meanings and morphology

युधिष्ठिर (yudhiṣṭhira) - Yudhiṣṭhira (the eldest Pāṇḍava) (Yudhiṣṭhira)

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of yudhiṣṭhira

yudhiṣṭhira - Yudhiṣṭhira (a proper name, lit. 'steady in battle')

Compound type : aluk-tatpuruṣa (yudhi+sthira)

• yudhi – in battle
  indeclinable (locative form used as part of compound) (feminine)
  locative singular of yudh (battle)
  Root: yudh (class 4)
• sthira – steady, firm, constant
  adjective (masculine)
  Root: sthā (class 1)

उवाच (uvāca) - (Yudhiṣṭhira) said (said, spoke)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, perfect (liṭ) of vac

perfect active (liṭ)

Irregular perfect form from √vac.

Root: vac (class 2)

किम् (kim) - what?

(interrogative pronoun)

Note: Functions as 'what' (neuter nominative singular).

स्वित् (svit) - indeed (emphasizing the question) (indeed, perhaps, pray, emphasizes question)

(indeclinable)

Note: The 't' is a result of final sandhi (svit + dattam -> sviddattam), the original word is svid.

दत्तम् (dattam) - what is given/offered (given, offered, gift)

(participle)

Nominative, neuter, singular of datta

datta - given, presented, granted; a gift, donation

Past Passive Participle

Derived from √dā (to give).

Root: dā (class 3)

Note: Acts as a substantive here.

पितृभ्यः (pitṛbhyaḥ) - to the ancestors (pitṛs) (to the ancestors, to the fathers)

(noun)

Dative, masculine, plural of pitṛ

pitṛ - father, ancestor

Note: Expresses purpose or recipient.

वै (vai) - indeed (emphatic) (indeed, surely, verily (emphatic particle))

(indeclinable)

भवति (bhavati) - becomes (becomes, exists, happens)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, present (laṭ) of bhū

present active (laṭ)

Root: bhū (class 1)

अक्षयम् (akṣayam) - inexhaustible (inexhaustible, imperishable, eternal)

(adjective)

Nominative, neuter, singular of akṣaya

akṣaya - inexhaustible, imperishable, eternal, undecaying

Negation (a-) of 'kṣaya' (decay, loss).

Compound type : nañ-tatpuruṣa (a+kṣaya)

• a – not, un-, in- (negation)
  indeclinable
  negative prefix
• kṣaya – decay, destruction, loss, waste
  noun (masculine)
  from √kṣi (to destroy)
  Root: kṣi (class 1)

Note: Agrees with 'kim dattam'.

ईश्वर (īśvara) - O Lord (vocative, addressing Bhīṣma) (lord, master, ruler)

(noun)

Vocative, masculine, singular of īśvara

īśvara - lord, master, ruler, controller, king

From √īś (to own, to rule).

Root: īś (class 2)

Note: Refers to Bhīṣma here.

किम् (kim) - what?

(interrogative pronoun)

Note: Functions as 'what' (neuter nominative singular).

हविः (haviḥ) - oblation (oblation, sacrificial offering)

(noun)

Nominative, neuter, singular of havis

havis - oblation, offering, ghee

From √hu (to offer, to sacrifice).

Root: hu (class 3)

चिररात्राय (cirarātrāya) - for a long duration (for a long time, for a long duration, for a long night)

(noun)

Dative, masculine, singular of cirarātra

cirarātra - a long night, a long time/duration

Compound of 'cira' (long) and 'rātra' (night). Here, 'rātra' implies duration.

Compound type : karmadhāraya (cira+rātra)

• cira – long (time), lasting
  adjective
• rātra – night, duration
  noun (masculine)
  from rātri

Note: Purpose for the oblation.

किम् (kim) - what?

(interrogative pronoun)

Note: Functions as 'what' (neuter nominative singular).

आनन्त्याय (ānantyāya) - for eternity (for eternity, for endlessness, for infinity)

(noun)

Dative, neuter, singular of ānantya

ānantya - endlessness, eternity, infinity

Derived from 'ananta' (endless) with the suffix '-ya' forming an abstract noun. 'ananta' itself is a nañ-tatpuruṣa compound of 'a' (negation) and 'anta' (end).

Note: Purpose.

कल्पते (kalpate) - is suitable (for) (is suitable, becomes, is able, is fit)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, middle, present (laṭ) of kḷp

present middle (laṭ)

Often used with dative for purpose.

Root: kḷp (class 1)